Type action for hand-operated typewriters



Jan. 15, 1963 A. MENICANTI 3,073,

TYPE ACTION FOR HAND-OPERATED TYPE-WRITERS Filed Nov. 22, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTCQ ADRIANO MEN ICANTI A7 IOR EV Jan. 15, 1963 A. MENlCANTl 3,073,428

TYPE ACTION FOR HAND-OPERATED TYPEWRITERS Filed Nov. 22, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VE N TOR ADRIANO MENICANT/ ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,073,428 TYPE ACTION FOR HAND-OPERATED TYPEWRITERS 'Adriano Menicanti, Ivrea, Italy, assignor to lug. C. Olivetti & C., S.p.A., Ivrea, Italy, a corporation of Italy Filed Nov. 22, 1961, Ser. No. 154,141 Claims priority, application Italy Nov. 26, 1960 Claims. (Cl. 19727) and having a circle diameter shorter than the distance between the two planes of the outer keys of said set, said pivot further being shiftable in a direction parallel to said vertical planes and to said transverse plane.

More particularly, this invention relates to those type actions wherein all the keys of said set are depressible through a constant stroke and each one of the members of the type action substantially lies in a plane and is subject only to forces lying therein, whereby cranking or transverse actions on said members are substantially excluded as long as the members dont sensibly leave their positions of rest.

In a known type action comprising a link connecting the key lever with the typelever, the link lies on the intersection line of the vertical key lever plane with the radial type leverplane. Since the type levers have all a uniform shape, the two lever arms of the key levers should be variably shaped from key lever to key lever, whereby an individual pivot is required for each key lever,

.-In.another known typeaction a sublever is provided in the plane of each type lever. This sublever is formed with .an arm having a variable lengthconnected to an arm of the key lever having a variable length as well. Since this sublever arm is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the movement requested for case shifting, this movement cannot be efiected by shifting the type lever basket. Furthermore, since the key lever arm is substantially longer than the sublever arm, each sublever requires an, individual pivot, whereby the machine using such a. type action is very expensive to manufacture.

Other known type actions comprise between each key lever and the associated type lever a sublever one arm of which hasa length variable according to the same ratio as the length of the second arm. One of these arms is connected through a first link to the key lever or to a second sublever connected in turn to the key lever, the other arm is connected through a second link to the type lever. Because of the variable length of the arm connected to the type lever, these sublevers are mounted on a semicircular pivot non-coaxial with the pivot of the type levers, whereby each sublever lies in a third plane inclined with respect tothe planes both of the key lever and the type lever, said first and second link lying on the intersection line of said third plane with the other two planes. The members of the type action are now subject to forces lying in three diflierent planes and when the various members leave their position of rest cranking or transverse actions will occur in three different pivot points.

Finally, other known type actions are formed of seven different members lying either in the key lever plane or in the type lever plane, the type lever basket being movable for case shifting. Generally, in the type actions of this kind a first sublever lies in the type lever plane and has a uniform shape for each type action, a second sublever lies in the key lever plane and its two arms are variably shaped from type action to type action, the link connecting the two sublevers lying on the intersection line of said two planes. Because of the variable length of the subleverarm connected to the key lever, the key lever arm should have a variable length as well. Furthermore, the high number of different members make the machine expensive.

The main object of the invention is to provide a type action which. is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object is to provide a type action requiring a minimum elfort to effect an impact.

With these and other objects in view, I now provide a type action comprising a first pivoted arm associated with each key and rockable thereby in the vertical plane there of, said arm being substantially parallel to the case shifting direction and directed upwards, :a second pivoted arm connec-tedwith each one of said type levers for concomitant rotation in the radial plane thereof, said second arm being. substantially radially directed outwards and substantially lying in a plane parallel to said transverse plane, theleng-th of said first arm increasing from the central type action to the outer type actions substantially according to the same ratio as the length of the second arm, and a rod substantially lying on the intersection line of each one of said vertical planes with the associated radial type lever plane for directly connecting said first arm to said second arm.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of several preferred embodiments thereof, made with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a right-hand longitudinal partial sectional view of a hand-operated typewriter comprising a first embodiment of the type action according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front view of the type writer of FIG- URE 1, taken perpendicularly to the type leverbasket;

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic view of a second embodiment of the type action according to the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic view of a third embodiment of the type action according to the invention.

Referring to FIGURES l and 2, the typewriter comprises a set of keys 4 depressible in parallel longitudinal and vertical planes. More particularly, the keys are mounted on key levers 5 arranged in rows and pivoted on three transverse pivots 6, 7 and 8 secured to a frame 15.

Furthermore, the typewriter comprises a type lever 9 associated with each one of the keys 4, and a substantially. semicircular common pivot 10 for rockably mounting said type lever 9 on individual radial planes each one intersecting the vertical plane of the associated key 4 on an intersection line 12 (FIGURE 1).

The pivot 10' lies in a transverse plane and has a circle diameter shorter than the distance between the planes of the two outer key levers 5 and 5". The pivot 10* issupportedby a type lever basket 11 and is bodily shiftable therewith in a direction parallel to the vertical key lever planes and to said transverse plane, said direction being substantially tangent to the conventional platen 16 on the common printing point 17. By this shifting movement either a lower case type 13 or an upper case type 14 may be selected.

Each type action comprises a first pivoted arm 18 associated with each one of the keys 4 and ro'ckable thereby in the vertical plane thereof. More particularly, the arm 18 is integral with the key lever 5 and is directed upwards substantially parallel to the direction of the case shift movement of the basket 11. The arm 18 has a variable length.

Furthermore, each type action comprises a second pivoted arm 26 connected to each one of the type levers 9 for concomitant rotation therewith in the radial plane thereof. More particularly, the arm 26 is integral with a Patented Jan. 15, 1963 3 sublever 19 whose further arm 21 is connected through a rod or link 22 to a heel 23 of the type lever 9. The pivot 10 is intermediate the types 13, 14 and the heel 23, whereby the axis of the link 22 does not intersect the type lever 9.

The sublevers 19 are fulcrumed on a second common substantially semicircular pivot 20 supported by the basket 11 coaxially with the pivot 10. The circle diameter of the pivot 20 is shorter than the distance between the two outer key levers and 5". The arm 21 has a uniform shape and length for all the sublevers 19. The arm 26 is substantially directed radially outwards and substantially lies in the plane parallel to the transverse plane of the pivot 10, whereby all the arms 26 lie on a plane substantailly parallel to the several planes on which lie the arms 18 of the three rows of key levers 5. Each arm 26 has a variable length and is connected to the corresponding arm 18 by a rod or link 27 substantially lying on the intersection line 12.

As it is clearly shown in FIGURES l and 2, the two arms 18 and 26 of each type action are so extended as to substantially reach the intersection line 12. By a suitable choice of the angular position of the type levers -9 on the basket 11, it may be obtained that all the intersection lines 12 lie on a generically cylindrical surface 28 (FIGURE 2) defined by distances from the pivots 6, 7 or 8 increasing substantially according to the same ratio as the distances from the pivot 20. The length of the arm 18 thus increases from the central to the outer type actions substantially according to the same ratio as the length of the second arm.

Upon depression of a key 4 the corresponding key lever 5 is rocked counterclockwise (FIGURE 1). The arm 18 through the link 27 rocks clockwise the sublever 19 which in turn through the link 22 rocks the type lever 9 in the same direction, namely clockwise as well. 1

It will be understood that due to the increasing lengths of the arms 18 and 26 according to the same ratio, the depression stroke is the same for each key 4 and the law of motion is the same for each type lever notwithstanding the sublevers 19 are fulcrumed on a single common pivot. It has been thus provided a type action made of only five members which obviates all the disadvantages of the known type actions.

In order to have the minimum cranking or transverse actions on the pivots when the members of the type action leave their position ofi rest, the arms '18 and 26 are effectively so directed that the bisectrix 30 of the angle through which the arm 18 rocks is parallel to the direction of the case shift movement of the basket 11 and thus to the plane of the pivot 20, and that the bisectrix 29 of the angle through which the arm 26 rocks lies in the plane of the pivot 20. The links 27 associated to the key levers 5 mounted on a common rectilinear pivot 6, 7 or 8, respectively, thus have all the same length. Moreover, when the type basket 11 is lowered for case shifting each link 30 is moved through an angle whose bisectrix 31 is parallel to or is substantially coincident with the intersection line 12. The rectilinear pivots 6, 7 and 8 are located in such a position as to compensate the variable length of the key levers of the different rows with the length of the corresponding arms 18.

The embodiment according to FIGURE 3, in which like reference numerals designate the same parts shown in FIGURES l and 2, differs from the embodiment according to FIGURES 1 and 2 in that the pivot 20 of the sublevers lies substantially in the plane of the pivot of the type levers 9. However, the cricle diameter of the pivot is still shorter than the distance between the two outer key levers 5' and 5".

The embodiment according to FIGURE 4 in which like reference numerals designate as well the same parts shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, ditfers from the embodiment according to FIGURES 1 and 2 in that the pivot 10 is located on a substantially horizontal plane as it is usual in a portable typewriter. In this case the intersection line of the key lever plane with the type lever plane is substantially vertical. Furthermore, the rectilinear pivot 6 may be located in such a position with respect to the semicircular pivot 20, that the rod 32 connecting the arm 18 to the arm 26 acts as a push member, said rod, however, still susbtantially lying in the intersection line of said planes.

It has been seen that the above described type actions comprise five members, the arm 18 being integral with the key lever 5, and the sublever 19 being separated from the type lever 9. From the FIGURE 3 it may be understood that if the semicircular pivot 20 of the sublever 19 is made coincident with the semicircular pivot 10 the sublever 19 may be disposed of, the arm 26 becoming the heel of the type lever 9, without changing the other members. The type action will thus have just three members instead of five.

Similarly, the arm 18 may be separated from the key lever 5 and become a par-t of an additional sublever connected to the key lever by means of a suitable link in order to alter the law of motion of the type lever, said additional sublever lying in the vertical plane of, the key lever. In this case said additional sublever will be the same for all key levers.

It will be understood that many changes, improvements and adjoining of parts may be made in the above embodiments of the invention without departing from the scope thereof. It is, therefore, intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. In a hand-operated typewriter having:

(a) frame,

(b) a set of key levers pivotally mounted on said frame on longitudinal vertical planes,

(0) a type lever associated with each one of said key levers,

(d) a first substantially semicircular pivot for rockably mounting said type levers on individual radial planes, said pivot lying in a transverse plane and having a circle diameter substantially shorter than the distance between the planes of the two outer key levers of said set, said pivot further being shiftable in a direction parallel to said vertical planes and to said transverse plane,

(e) a type action comprising in combination:

(1) a first arm formed on each one of said key levers and rockable therewith in the vertical plane thereof, said arm being substantially parallel to said direction and directed upwards,

(g) a sublever associated with each one of said type levers,

(h) a second substantially semicircular pivot for rockably mounting said sublever on the radial plane of the assocaited type lever, said second pivot being coaxial with said first pivot,

(i) a rod connecting said sublever to the associated type lever for concomitant rotation,

(j) a second arm formed on said sublever substantially directed radially outwards and substantially lying in the plane of said second pivot,

(k) the length of said first arm increasing from the central type action to the outer type actions substantially according to the same ratio as the length of the second arm,

(I) and a rod substantially lying on the intersection line of each one of said vertical planes with the associated radial plane for directly connecting said first arm to said second arm.

2. In a hand-operated typewriter having:

(a) a frame,

(b) a set of key levers pivotally mounted on said frame on longitudinal vertical planes,

(c) a type lever associated with each one of said key levers,

(d) a first substantially semicircular common pivot for rockably mounting said type levers on individual radial planes, said pivot lying in a transverse plane and having a circle diameter substantially shorter than the distance between the two outer key levers of said set,

(e) a type lever basket supporting said pivot,

(f) and means for mounting said basket on said frame shiftably in a direction parallel to said vertical plane and to said transverse plane, Y

(g) a type action comprising in combination:

([1) a first arm formed on each one of said key levers and rockable therewith in the vertical plane thereof, said arm being substantially parallel to said direction and directed upwards,

(i) a sublever associated with each one of said type levers,

(i) a second substantially semicircular common pivot for rockably mounting said sublever on the radial plane of the associated type lever, said second pivot being supported by said basket coaxially with said first pivot,

(k) a link connecting said sublever to the associated type lever for rotation in the same direction,

(I) a second arm formed on said sublever substantially directed radially outwards and substantially lying in the plane of said second pivot,

(m) the length of said first increasing from the central type action to the outer type actions substantially of the same ratio as the length of the second arm,

(n) and a link lying on the intersection line of each one of said vertical planes with the associated radial plane for directly connecting said first arm to said second arm.

3. In a hand-operated typewriter having:

(a) a frame,

(b) a set of key levers pivotally mounted on said frame on longitudinal vertical planes,

(0) a type lever associated with each one of said key levers and having a type member at one end thereof, t

(d) a first substantially semicircular common pivot for rockably mounting said type levers on individual radial planes, said pivot lying in a transverse plane and having a circle diameter substantially shorter than the distance between the two outer key levers of said set,

(2) a heel on each one of said type levers at the opposite end of said type member with respect to said pivot,

. (f) a type lever basket supporting said pivot,

(g) and means for mounting said basket on said frame shiftably in a direction parallel to said vertical planes and to said transverse plane,

(h) a type action comprising in combination:

(i) a first arm on the vertical plane of each one of said key levers and connected thereto for concomitant rotation, said arm being substantially parallel to said direction and directed upwards,

(j) a sublever associated with each one of said type levers,

(k) a second substantially semicircular common pivot for rockably mounting said sublever on the radial plane of the associated type lever, said second pivot being supported by said basket coaxially with respect to said first pivot,

(l) a link connecting said sublever to said heel of the associated type lever, said link being adapted to cause said sublever and said associated type lever to rotate in the same direction,

(m) a second arm formed on said sublever substantially directed radially outwards and substantially lying in the plane of said second pivot,

, (a) a frame,

(b) a set of key levers arranged in diiferent rows,

55(6) a group of rectilinear parallel pivots each one pivotally mounting the key levers of each row on longitudinal vertical planes,

(d) a set of type levers each one associated with one of said key levers,

(e) a first substantially semicircular common pivot for rockably mounting said type levers on individual radial planes, said pivot lying in a transverse plane and having a circle diameter substantially shorter than the distance between the two outer key levers of said set,

(f) a type lever basket supporting said pivot,

(g) and means for mounting said basket on said frame shiftably in a direction parallel to said vertical planes and to said transverse plane,

(h) a type action comprising in combination:

(i) a first arm formed on each one of said key levers and rockable therewith in the vertical plane thereof, said arm being substantially parallel to said direction and directed upwards,

(j) a sublever associated with each one of said type levers,

(k) a second substantially semicircular common pivot for rockably mounting said sublever on the radial plane of the associated type lever, said second pivot being supported by said basket coaxially with respect to said first pivot,

(l) a link connecting said sublever to the associated type lever for rotation in the same direction,

(m) a second arm formed on said sublever substantially directed radially outwards and substantially lying in the plane of said second pivot,

(n) the length of said first arm increasing from the central type action to the outer type actions substantially of the same ratio as the length of the second arm,

(0) a link lying on the intersection line of one of said vertical planes with the associated radial plane for directly connecting said first arm to said second arm,

(p) and means for mounting said group'of rectilinear pivots on said frame as to compensate the length of the key levers of difierent rows with the length of said associated first arm.

5. In a typewriter having:

(a) a set of operating keys depressable in transversely spaced vertical planes and arranged in a plurality of blanks;

(b) type-bearing levers individually related to said keys and arranged to be operated in converging planes about pivot points which lie in a transverse plane along a circle diameter which is appreciably smaller than the total spread of the system of 'operating keys,

(0) said type-bearing levers as a system being case shiftable in a direction which is generally parallel to said transverse plane and parallel to said vertical planes,

(d) a type action system comprising in combination:

(2) a first pivoted arm associated with and operable by each of said keys in its vertical plane to swing substantially transversely to the direction in which said system of type-bearing levers is case-shiftable,

(f) a plurality of outwardly radiating pivoted arms individually related to each one of said type-bearing levers and radiating outwardly in the operating plane thereof generally in a plane parallel to said transverse plane,

(g) means connecting said type-bearing levers for operation by their related ones of said outwardly radiating arms,

(h) links connecting said first pivoted arms with their related ones of said outwardly radiating arms substantially along intersection lines of the planes in which they operate,

(i) and pivot means for said outwardly radiating arms arranged along a circle which is chosen of a dimension relatively to the total width of the system of said operating keys so that, in respect to the References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Petermann Aug. 15, 1916 Kurowski June 12, 1928 

1. IN A HAND-OPERATED TYPEWRITER HAVING: (A) FRAME, (B) A SET OF KEY LEVERS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME ON LONGITUDINAL VERTICAL PLANES, (C) A TYPE LEVER ASSOCIATED WITH EACH ONE OF SAID KEY LEVERS, (D) A FIRST SUBSTANTIALLY SEMICIRCULAR PIVOT FOR ROCKABLY MOUNTING SAID TYPE LEVERS ON INDIVIDUAL RADIAL PLANES, SAID PIVOT LYING IN A TRANSVERSE PLANE AND HAVING A CIRCLE DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY SHORTER THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE PLANES OF THE TWO OUTER KEY LEVERS OF SAID SET, SAID PIVOT FURTHER BEING SHIFTABLE IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO SAID VERTICAL PLANES AND TO SAID TRANSVERSE PLANE, (E) A TYPE ACTION COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (F) A FIRST ARM FORMED ON EACH ONE OF SAID KEY LEVERS AND ROCKABLE THEREWITH IN THE VERTICAL PLANE THEREOF, SAID ARM BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID DIRECTION AND DIRECTED UPWARDS, (G) A SUBLEVER ASSOCIATED WITH EACH ONE OF SAID TYPE LEVERS, (H) A SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY SEMICIRCULAR PIVOT FOR ROCKABLY MOUNTING SAID SUBLEVER ON THE RADIAL PLANE OF THE ASSOCIATED TYPE LEVER, SAID SECOND PIVOT BEING COAXIAL WITH SAID FIRST PIVOT, (I) A ROD CONNECTING SAID SUBLEVER TO THE ASSOCIATED TYPE LEVER FOR CONCOMITANT ROTATION, (J) A SECOND ARM FORMED ON SAID SUBLEVER SUBSTANTIALLY DIRECTED RADIALLY OUTWARDS AND SUBSTANTIALLY LYING IN THE PLANE OF SAID SECOND PIVOT, (K) THE LENGTH OF SAID FIRST ARM INCREASING FROM THE CENTRAL TYPE ACTION TO THE OUTER TYPE ACTIONS SUBSTANTIALLY ACCORDING TO THE SAME RATIO AS THE LENGTH OF THE SECOND ARM, (L) AND A ROD SUBSTANTIALLY LYING ON THE INTERSECTION LINE OF EACH ONE OF SAID VERTICAL PLANES WITH THE ASSOCIATED RADIAL PLANE FOR DIRECTLY CONNECTING SAID FIRST ARM TO SAID SECOND ARM. 